Writer Heidi Thomas said Marsh's illness was an "emotional experience for all of [them], because [they] just adore Jean", adding: "I remember saying to Anne Reid (Mrs Thackeray), 'Rose cannot leave because it would be like the ravens leaving the tower, she's so integral to 165'."

Dismissing rumours that Atkins was unhappy with her scripts, Thomas insisted: "With Eileen it was all very mutual and not acrimonious in any way."

Meanwhile, shrugging off comparisons with ITV1's Emmy-winning Downton Abbey, she added: "It hasn't been part of our thinking while we make the show at all. We're so centred on what we do and I think we're all so passionate about these two families at this time in history, that's our story."